Signal apparatus



April 19 1927. 1,624,923

R. w. BuRpsALx.

SIGNAL APPARAQUS Filed Nov. 1'?. 192s /R mvENTpI! Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

RAYMOND W. BURDSALL, OF GLOCESTER HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY.

SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Application filed November One object of my said invention is the provision of a signal apparatus adapted when actuated to attract the attention of a deaf person and thereby apprise such person of the fact that a caller is at-the door.

Another yobject of the invention is the provision of a signal apparatus adapted'by a bouncing of a ball and vibratory action caused thereby to attract the attention of a deaf person and at the same time to cause a signal lamp to glow and a buzzer to sound7 the sounding of the buzzer serving to attract the attention of persons who are not deaf and who might be in an apartment adjacent to that in which the apparatus 1s arranged.

To the attainment of the foregoing. the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings7 forming `part of this specification:-

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the apparatus constituting the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrative of the electrical wiring comprised in the apparatus.

Similar numerals designate corresponding parts in both views of the drawings.

Among other elements my novel apparatus comprises a casing body 1. The said casing body 1 is provided with a door 2, and may be of the construction illustrated or of any other lconstruction compatible with the purpose of my invention.

Fulerumed at 3 in the casing body 41 is a platform lever t which extends through an opening in one wall of the casing body 1 and is provided in its-portion exterior of the casing body 1 with a depression 5. The said depression is adapted to seat a displaceable ball 6 which may be and preferably is of medium hard rubber so that when it is precipitated to the floor it Will bounce and give rise to a vibratory action calculated to attract the attention of a deaf ierson. At this point. I desire it distinctly understood that While I prefer to employ a rubber ball of medium hardness, the ball 6 may be av ball of any other description ap propriate to its indicated purpose. On the inner arm of the platform lever t is provided a contact strip 7 for cooperation with terminals 8 arranged in a normally open circuit With a source of electric energy and 17, 1923. Serial N'O. 675,352.

an incandescent lamp 9 whereby when the platform lever I is released as hereinafter described and. is swung by the gravitation of its comparatively heavy outer arm, the circuit n'ienticned will be closed so as to bring about the glowing of the lamp 9, which glowingwil continue and afford a visible signal until theapparatus is reset by the lowering of the inner armof the platform lever l and the placing of the said ilatform lever 4 in engagement with the catch 10 on an armature 11. The said armature 11 is preferably constructed and equipped as illustrated and is opposed to electro-magnets 12 whereby when the electro-magnets are energized the arinature will be caused to-oscillate and thereby give rise to a buzzingsound calculated to attract the attention of a person with good hearing notwithstandiug such person n'iight b'e'in an apartment adjacent to that containing' my novelv apparatus. In this connection it will be understoodthat the linitial movement of the armature 11 toward the magnets 12 will bring about the mentioned release of the platform lever a with the result that the contact plate on said lever 4r will effect electric connection between the terminals 8 so that the lamp 9 will he ycaused to glow until the apparatus is reset. and this notwithstanding' the fact that thebuzzing action will cease when the circuit containing the magnets 12 is opened.

i Any appropriate means may be employed for closing the circuit containing the magnets 12 though I prefer to employ for the purpose an ordinary or any other approved push button 13 which is designed to be ar ranged exterior of a dwelling and adjacent to the entrance thereof.

n Manifestly when the apparatus is set as illustrated in Figure 1 and the push button is pressed, the magnets will be energized, and such energization will be attended lirst by the movement of the armature 11 out of engagement with the platform lever 4C to release the latter and to precipitate the ball 6 to the floor and to bring about the glowing of the incandescent lamp 9. Said initial action will be followed by the described oscillation of the armature 11 for the purpose of affording the buzzing sound or audible signal before mentioned. Vhen pressure is removed from the push button 13, the electro-magnets 12 will be deenergized and the buzzing sound will cease, but the glowing of the incandescent lamp 9 will continue until the apparatus is manually reset by the drawing down ot the inner arm olt the platform lever Ll, and the placing of the end of said arm under the catch l() of the armature ll as shown .in Figure El. lvhen the door 2 of the casing body l is opened access manifestly maybe readily gained to the inner arm of the platform lever -l for the downward movement of said arm, or if preferred the apparatus may be reset by the application oi? the hand to the outer arm of the vplatform lever, and this `without opening ot the door 2. fitter the platform lever is replaced in engagement with the armature ll as stated the setting ot the apparatusis completed by the manual placing of the ball 6 in the depression 5.

As clearly shown in Figure Al, l prefer to employ in the apparatus an apl'iropriate switch Ll through the medium of which the circuit may be opened when desired. rllhis, however, is not ot' the essence ol my invention and it will therefore be under stood that the switch ll may be employed ormay be altogether omitted without affecting my invention as delined in `my appended claims. I would also have it understood that as shown the apparatus comprises a ytransformer l se that the apparatus may `be connected with the electric wiring olf a dwelling. This, however, is also not ei the essence of my invention, and it will, therefore, be und rstood that the terminals or binding posts 16 may be connected with any sint-able source of electric energy without all'ecting my invention.

lt will be apparent from the foregoing that Anotwithstanding the simplicity ol my improved apparatus, the same may be deipende-d'upon .to yput on notice a deaf `person when a caller actuates the push button 13, the closing of the circuit by the manipula- -tion ol a push button d3 ybringing about the frelease ofthe platform lever 'el and the precipitation ot the ball (i coincident with or 4followed closely by the closure ot the lamp circuit with the result that the lamp will be continued to glow. Then so long as the push button 13 is subjected to pressure and the armature ll` is oscillated, a buzzing sound will be ati'orded 'adapted to attract the attention oli' such persons in the vicinity' otl the apparatus as are able to hear. rl`he buzzing sound will be a-l'orded so long as the push button lil is subjected to pressure, but when the push button is released of pressure the buzzing `will be caused to cease, though the'lamp i) will continue to glow as before described until the apparatus is reset.

I have entered into a detailed description ol the construction and relative arrangement of the part-s embraced in the present and preferred embodiment ol? my invention in order to impart a Yfull, clear and enact understanding of the said embodin'ient. l do not desire, however, to be understood as conlining myself to the specilicconstrud tion and relative arrangement of parts inasmuch as in the future practice of the in `vention various changes and modifications .may be made such as tall within the scope of my invention as defined in my appended claim.

`lilaving described my invention, what l claim and desire lo secure by Letters-Patent, 1s:-

il, signal apparatus adapted to attract a deaf person and comprising a casing, a platform lever pivoted within vthe'casing Yto swing in a vertical plane and having adepressed portion extendingexteriorly of the casing, a. ball adapted to normally lie on the depressed portion of said platform lever, means for normally retaining said plat-l form lever in a horizontal position, and `magnetie means lor releasing said lirst mentioned means so that the Yweight ol" the ball will `move the lever on its pivot `to vdrop said ball whereby the latter will bounce to attract the deaf person.

ln testimony whereof I allix my signature. i

RAYMOND lll. BURDSAILL. 

